The department of respiratory care in the School of Allied Health Sciences is providing a free educational program for the public this week in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
“Your Lung Health Matters” is a June 9 public forum for Valley residents who want to learn more about their lungs. The program will be presented in the lobby of the South Padre Island Convention Center.
“This program will be of particular interest to individuals who have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema and asthma,” said DeDe Gardner, assistant professor of respiratory care. “We also will provide educational sessions on tuberculosis, because the rate of TB along the U.S.-Mexico border is six times higher than the national average.”
The department plans to offer a free pulmonary screening consisting of spirometry and pulse oximetry.
Millions of Americans have a lung condition such as asthma, COPD, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, sleep apnea or pulmonary fibrosis.
The department of respiratory care is committed to advancing patient education for those suffering with lung disease. This public forum will be held in conjunction with the Annual Texas Society for Respiratory Care meeting June 8-10.
Presenters are Gardner; Helen Sorenson, assistant professor of respiratory care; and Terry LeGrand, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of respiratory care.
Sponsors of the forum include the department of respiratory care, the Texas Society for Respiratory Care, the National Emphysema and COPD Association, Lee Pharmacy and Home Care, ndd Diagnostics [sic], and the National Lung Health Education Program.
